


Shovel Talk

by JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle



Series: Summer and Fall 2015 [7]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, missing scene from "Three Visits"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9087637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle/pseuds/JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle
Summary: Missing scene from "Three Visits," in which Coach Bittle attempts to warn Jack about hurting Bitty. Jack is having none of it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd, so, as always, let me know what I need to fix. Also, I own none of these characters or this   
> verse. Bless Ngozi for letting us enjoy it.

Richard Bittle sat in his recliner, the sound on the football game turned low, and listened to the soft clink of dishes coming from the kitchen.

He shook his head, thinking about the situation he was in, waiting for his son’s boyfriend to come over and be acknowledged.

He could tell himself he’d never seen it coming, but that would be a lie.

He heard the car pull into the driveway and the engine cut out, so he stood to go to the door.

The bell rang and Coach opened the door to Jack Zimmermann, looking tired and nervous and like he had put on at least 15 pounds of muscle since Coach had last seen him. Coach extended his hand with a nod.

“Jack,” he said, backing up to allow Jack to to enter the house.

He heard Junior come up behind him and stepped away to allow Junior to embrace his boyfriend, planting a kiss on his cheek before pulling away.

Junior led them to the dining room, and when Jack sat down, Coach told Junior to go help his mother. He sat across from Jack and gave him a long, appraising look. It was a look that made aspiring high school football players tremble and opposing coaches shift their feet as they started to wonder about weaknesses they hadn’t yet spotted in their own teams.

Jack Zimmermann simply sat, seemingly at ease, and started eating.

Well, Jack would have stared down some pretty intimidating opponents, Coach thought.

So Coach jumped right in.

“I want you to know that you don’t need to worry about Suzanne and I telling anyone that you and Junior are together,” he said. “I know that being a professional athlete, in the public eye, and being in a relationship with a man can’t be easy.”

“Thanks,” Jack said. “But I’m not afraid that you’ll out me.”

“I also want you to know that even though I think Junior was a little afraid to tell us what he did earlier, there was no call for that,” Coach said. “He’s my son, and I love him, and I’ll always stand by him.”

Jack swallowed, nodded, and said, “Good to know.”

“But I want to remind you that you need to watch yourself,” Coach said. “He thinks the sun rises and sets on you, and if you’re going to up and decide it’s not worth it to try to date my son because of what everyone would say, or if you think you could do better than a college kid, well, just stop now.”

Jack set his fork down and looked across the table at Coach. Coach decided Jack’s look was just as good as his own.

But Coach did not squirm. Instead, he went on. “Junior’s put up with a lot of hurt over the years, one way and another,” he said. “And he's so far into this … relationship. Now, I don't want to imply that you're leading him on, but if you're just having fun with him, it would be kinder to stop before things go any further.”

Jack’s gaze intensified, then he shifted so he was more upright.

“Have I done or said anything to make you think I'm not serious about Bi- Eric?”

“Uh, no, but I only found out you were dating an hour ago,” Coach said. “But frankly, the differences between you -- not just you being in the NHL, but your age, and your background -- make me wonder.”

“Wonder what I see in Eric? Do you even know him?” Jack said. “He’s warm and kind and brave enough to leave everything he knew to go somewhere where he could be himself. He takes care of people and he finds joy in them even when he’s hurting.”

Jack's tone was low and even, nothing that would carry to the kitchen, but it was direct and clear.

“And of course I know he’s been hurt over the years, and that he was scared to talk to you today. Why do you think I flew down here? He had reason to be scared after being hurt over and over and not having anyone -- not you, his father, who worked in his school -- lift a finger to protect him.”

“I didn't know how bad it was,” Coach said. “There was a lot I didn't know about until this summer.”

“If you didn't know, you should have,” Jack said. 

“You're right,” Coach said. “I know you're right, and I'm trying to make it up to him. And I know that you’ve been good to him. I just need to know that will continue.”

Jack nodded and picked up his fork.

“If you want to make it up to him, maybe you could try coming to watch him play,” he said. 

“I'd like to,” Coach said. “I guess I was afraid that, well, that I would go and see him sit on the bench and be ignored. He's not big, and he never liked contact sports. I always thought he took the hockey scholarship just to get out of Georgia.”

Jack shook his head and said, “You’re selling him short again. I've never been on the ice with anyone faster, and he has amazing hands.”

“And the team doesn't mind about him?” Coach asked.

“That he's gay?” Jack almost snorted. “You think he's the only non-straight athlete who’s ever been in a locker room? They're fine. They love him, and he loves hockey. Seriously. They have whole plays planned around him. At his last game …”

Jack started arranging the silverware and condiments to demonstrate, stopping only when Bitty came in with pie and he could wrap his arm around his boyfriend’s waist.

Coach had lost track of how the play worked a few passes in, but it was clear that Junior’s ability to move across the ice quickly was key.

“Maybe you had to be there,” Jack said.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/justlookfrightened)!


End file.
